Shop Windows to the Universe

Space

Have you ever gone out at on a cloudless night, when there is no bright Moon in the sky or city lights to obscure your view, and been blown away by the astonishing number of stars in the sky? Probably for as long as people have been around, to look up into the sky, we have wondered what the many spots of light in the sky mean. Thousands of years ago, the earliest civilizations observed the heavens. Early man observed the heavens because the Sun, Moon and stars gave indication of coming seasons to farmers and hunters. The sky aided in navigation especially for nomads and sailors. And many ancient civilizations thought the sky gave signs of life, war, earthquakes, the fate of kingdoms...and more. Since the invention of the telescope, we have been able to "see" further away and study stars and galaxies, as well as many of the more mysterious objects in our Universe.

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Chinook

xChinook : A dry down-slope wind which occurs on the downwind side of a mountain range. It is a rain shadow wind which results from the subsequent (adiabatic) warming of air which has dropped most of its moisture on windward slopes.

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Research Highlights

Researchers working in South Africa have discovered two remarkably well-preserved fossil skeletons of an ancient human ancestor dating to almost two million years ago. The discovery is described in two...Read more